JD Vance Is Getting Ahead Of Democrats’ Biggest Midterm Weapon

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are hitting the road to tout the administration’s economic policy, and Vance is seemingly playing the long game in combatting Democrats’ effective “affordability” messaging.

Trump visited Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, kicking off a year-long tour across the country to ease voters’ concerns about the economy. The affordability crisis has been top of mind for the GOP going into a midterm year following some key wins from Democrats who campaigned on the issue.

Vance, who is set to appear in Allentown, Pennsylvania, next Tuesday, has typically acknowledged voters’ struggles when talking about the economy and requested patience as the administration works to make things more affordable. Trump, contrastingly, has shown frustration with Americans’ feelings on the issue as polls continue to show voters aren’t satisfied with his handling of the economy. (RELATED: Trump Defends Focus On Foreign Policy, Says Those Complaining Probably Aren’t His Supporters)

“I inherited a MESS from the Biden Administration — The Worst Inflation in History, and the Highest Prices our Country has ever seen. In other words, Affordability, just 13 months ago, was a DISASTER for the American People, but now, it’s totally different! Prices are coming down FAST, Energy, Oil and Gasoline, are hitting five year lows, and the Stock Market today just hit an All Time High. Tariffs are bringing in Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we are respected as a Nation again,” Trump wrote in a Thursday TruthSocial post.

“When will I get credit for having created, with No Inflation, perhaps the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country? When will people understand what is happening? When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point in time, and how bad it was just one year ago?” he added.

While the president has repeatedly posted about and addressed questions on the affordability crisis, the vice president’s first extensive remarks on the economy came at a Nov. 20 fireside chat with Breitbart News. Vance asked voters for patience before repeating some key talking points the president has hammered — namely that Democrats are the ones responsible for Americans’ pain.

“The thing I’d ask for the American people is a little bit of patience. This economy was not harmed in 10 months,” Vance said. “And as much progress as we’ve made, it’s going to take a little bit of time for every American to feel that economic boom, which we really do believe is coming.”

The president and the vice president have largely hit the same message when talking about the economy. Both emphasize the strength of the economy and how their administration has made things more affordable. The duo also has branded Democrats campaigning on making things more affordable as a “hoax,” arguing that it is the party that made things so difficult.

But Vance has conceded that they haven’t achieved total success yet and has declined to dismiss Americans’ dissatisfaction.

“My message to the American people who are still feeling like things are unaffordable, who are still feeling like things are rough out there, is, look, we get it and we hear you and we know there’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “There’s a lot of wood to chop because the Biden administration put us in such a very, very tough spot.”

Joe Biden’s insane policies left American families unable to afford a decent living in their own country.

Through tax cuts, better paying jobs, and investment in American industry, President Trump is making America affordable again for working families one step at a time. https://t.co/XuynesfyEN

— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 10, 2025

Vance’s admission that things still need to get better seems tonally different from Trump’s more defensive posture on the issue, as the president has called people who question how much time he is spending abroad “stupid” and suggested such complaints don’t come from his supporters. He has vacillated between asserting to Americans, “You’re doing better than you’ve ever done,” and reassuring that prices will come down further throughout his presidency.

Trump has long taken pride in his economic success, especially during his first term. Vance notoriously comes from a rough, poor childhood in the Midwest.

A White House official told the Daily Caller that there’s no contradiction between Trump and Vance’s message.

“Even [Trump] has stressed that there’s more work to do, but our policies have a proven track record — just see [the] first Trump term — which is why they have made great progress and will continue to do so,” the official told the Caller.

In the first stop of his tour, Trump, after touting the prices his administration had lowered and the current strength of the economy, did admit there is more work to be done.

Prior to his softer tone on the tour, Vance seemed to echo the president’s frustration with Americans’ sentiments on the economy.

“I think I would certainly say voters are impatient. I think voters have every right to be impatient,” the vice president noted. “We are impatient, too, and we’re going to see if what we do and what we think we have to do converges with what the voters think we should be doing.”

Trump most frequently takes an aggressive tone. In his most recent cabinet meeting he blamed the media for drumming up concern about the economy.

“When you talk about affordability … are the American people, do you believe getting impatient with the reforms that you are making?” Fox Business White House correspondent Edward Lawrence asked during a cabinet meeting.

“I think they are getting fake news from guys like you. Affordability is a hoax. It was started by Democrats, who caused the problems of pricing. And they did not end it,” Trump said, going on to recount how he was elected because affordability was a problem.

“So we are bringing prices down. Way down. Beef is coming down now. We have done certain magic. Beef is coming down. We inherited horrible prices. We inherited really the worst, again, the worst inflation in history. We inherited that. When I came in, that was what he had and we fixed inflation. And we fixed almost everything if you want to know the truth, including eight wars. We got one to go, including eight wars,” the president continued.

Kevin Hassett, a top White House economic adviser, has also similarly appealed to Americans’ struggles while emphasizing that “Trumponomics” is going to work.

“We understand that people understand as they look at their pocketbooks and go to the grocery store, that there’s still work to do,” Hassett said.

In an interview with Politico which published on Tuesday, the president gave himself an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade on the economy.

“The word affordability is a Democrat scam,” Trump said during his most recent cabinet meeting.